


As Good As Gold

by Dreamin



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Established Relationship, F/M, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 08:38:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16930014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamin/pseuds/Dreamin
Summary: Sally has her doubts about their relationship and Mycroft does his best to rid her of them.





	As Good As Gold

**Author's Note:**

  * For [afteriwake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/gifts).



> Inspired by a prompt from afteriwake: “Show me the most damaged parts of your soul, and i will show you how it still shines like gold.” -- Nikita Gill

The one thing that hurt Mycroft Holmes’ well-hidden heart more than anything else was the thought of his girlfriend in pain. It was in his nature to do all he could to protect those he loved from the outside world. His parents were content with their house in the country and his brother mostly tolerated the constant, discrete surveillance, but Sally refused any sort of special treatment.

He acquiesced after they fought about it one night over dinner. It was their first fight as a couple and he felt physically ill afterwards. The last thing he wanted was to lose her. When they made up, he impulsively took her to Paris for a long weekend. They didn’t leave their hotel suite the entire time.

It was shortly after that weekend that he noticed she was making herself less and less available. At first, he told himself that she was simply busy, but deep down, he knew she was pulling away.

He was losing her and he had no idea what to do.

Finally, he asked his sister-in-law for help. Molly took Sally out to lunch the next day. He had just gotten back to his office when she called.

“What did you find out?” he asked in lieu of a greeting.

“Hello to you too, Mycroft,” Molly said, amused.

Mycroft rolled his eyes. “Hello, Molly. Well?”

Molly’s soft sigh came through the phone loud and clear. “She thinks she’s not good enough for you.”

“What?” He was utterly baffled – he’d expected something more along the lines of “the sex isn’t good enough” or “he’s suffocating me.” Not that he thought either of those things was true, but he did have a hard time reading Sally occasionally.

“She said that she’s, and I’m quoting here, an ‘unpolished homewrecker’ and you’re ‘the epitome of class.’ She knows you love her but she thinks you can do better.”

“That’s ridiculous,” he said quietly. “She’s the best thing in my life.”

“Tell her that, Mycroft, soon.”

“I will, Molly. And thank you.”

“No need to thank me, just name your first daughter after me.” The grin in her voice was evident.

Mycroft chuckled. “If we are graced with a daughter, then I promise we will.”

He invited Sally to dinner the following evening at his home. When she tried to demur, he gently reminded her that they hadn’t seen each other in over a week. Finally, she accepted.

* * *

He opened the door at her knock and as soon as she walked into the foyer, he gently took her face in his hands and kissed her softly. When she got over her momentary surprise, she kissed him back, her hands on his shoulders and wetness on her cheeks.

Mycroft pulled back, gazing at her, his hands lowering to her waist. Tears were running down her face and she was looking at him with large, pained eyes.

“This is goodbye, isn’t it?” she asked quietly. “No, don’t tell me – I don’t want to hear you say it. Just … just let me clean out my drawer and I’ll go.”

She tried to move away but he held her gently but firmly in place. “Sarah Isobel Donovan, where do you think you’re going? This is not goodbye, far from it.” He removed one hand from her waist to pull a small, wrapped box from his trouser pocket. “I was going to give you this for Christmas but two weeks is too far away – you need it more now.”

Sally hesitated before taking the box and slowly unwrapping it with shaking hands and pulling off the lid. Inside was a cabochon pendant of a gemstone she didn’t recognize in a highly-polished gold setting. The stone was royal blue with white, like whitecaps in a tiny sea.

She looked up at him, awed. “Mike … what is that? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Mycroft chuckled softly. “That, my dear, is a mineral called sodalite. I know how much you love the sea and when I saw the pendant, I knew it would be perfect for you.” He removed the pendant and its delicate gold chain from the box then secured the chain around her neck. “There’s a quote I read recently that is applies perfectly – ‘Show me the most damaged parts of your soul and I will show you how it still shines like gold.’ You think you’re not good enough for me, that your previous actions and indiscretions somehow make you less than what I deserve.”

“But they do,” she started to say.

“That is nonsense,” he said firmly, then he softened his tone as he put the empty box down then took her hands. “I’m not exactly innocent either but our pasts don’t matter. All that matters is who we are now and how we feel about one another. You are a good woman and meeting you was the best thing that has ever happened to me. You have my heart, Sally. I can only hope that I still have yours.”

She laughed weakly. “You git, of course you do.” She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

Mycroft held her close then murmured in her ear, “Let’s go upstairs. I want to see you in just that necklace.”

“Mmm, you’re on.”


End file.
